Few things to remember when working.

TechJunky

I just thought I would pass some info along to me from past employeers, friends and co-workers.

1. Dress for Success
2. 8 hours of work a day for 8 hours of pay.
3. Project Deadlines = Happy Customers
4. Keep constant contact with clients even when they are not having problems. Customers like to know they are being thought about other when they are having a problem.
5. Proactive employees = Happy managers.
6. Think before saying.
7. If you are stressed about a problem, start an email to your manager about your concerns and then save it as a draft. Come back in 30 minutes and review your email before sending. Are these issues to valid, or were you over reacting?

If anyone else has some good tips that they have learned over the years please post.

Non-Profit Techie

The only advice I have is this : If you are the new guy, play dumb. Let the person training you feel smart. When I started my current job I knew more then the person training me. She wanted me gone after just 2 days. For good reason tho, now im the Network Manager and she is still a tech , lol.

garv221

Have a sense of humor and enjoy beers after work. It will take you far in life.

initiald

Have a sense of humor and enjoy beers after work. It will take you far in life.

Best advice I've heard in a long time.

MAC_Addy

Indeed a good sense of humor is a very big plus.

I currently live and work in america, i am from england.

This means that I have a "dry" sense of humor, apparently. But I clearly know, and many fellow british people would agree, my humor is not dry. Ours rocks.

But getting back to the point, I work in a school district and I work with 3 other guys. I thought I'd have a problem with at least one person, but our crew is the best in the district, proven.

We all get along great, have great communication. Have a laugh, always jokes and a lot of pranks. Get to know your fellow employees.

Now, when it comes to the users (teachers) that's another story.

But our IT Dept, amazing. Only because we all have a good sense of humor.

mrhaun03

initiald wrote:

Have a sense of humor and enjoy beers after work. It will take you far in life.

Best advice I've heard in a long time.

Yessir! Might have to do that today

JDMurray

mrhaun03 wrote:

initiald wrote:

Have a sense of humor and enjoy beers after work. It will take you far in life.

Best advice I've heard in a long time.

Yessir! Might have to do that today

Hmmm...it's Friday. That means it's Sam Adams Honey Porter day!

Ye Gum Noki

Stolly Martinis ICE COLD and a Rocky Patel 1990 vintage 6x60 (it's a cigar).

Pour a cap full of vermouth in the Martini glass, swirl it around the glass and pour it out. Add ICE COLD Stolly from the freezer, add two olives and two drops of olive "juice."

"Is this heaven?"

markzab

Ye Gum Noki wrote:

Stolly Martinis ICE COLD and a Rocky Patel 1990 vintage 6x60 (it's a cigar).

Pour a cap full of vermouth in the Martini glass, swirl it around the glass and pour it out. Add ICE COLD Stolly from the freezer, add two olives and two drops of olive "juice."

"Is this heaven?"

"It's not Heaven...It's Iowa."

(Had to have seen Field of Dreams to get that one.)

Ye Gum Noki

markzab wrote:

Ye Gum Noki wrote:

Stolly Martinis ICE COLD and a Rocky Patel 1990 vintage 6x60 (it's a cigar).

Pour a cap full of vermouth in the Martini glass, swirl it around the glass and pour it out. Add ICE COLD Stolly from the freezer, add two olives and two drops of olive "juice."

"Is this heaven?"

"It's not Heaven...It's Iowa."

(Had to have seen Field of Dreams to get that one.)

I thought someone would make that connection.

markzab

Ye Gum Noki wrote:

markzab wrote:

Ye Gum Noki wrote:

Stolly Martinis ICE COLD and a Rocky Patel 1990 vintage 6x60 (it's a cigar).

Pour a cap full of vermouth in the Martini glass, swirl it around the glass and pour it out. Add ICE COLD Stolly from the freezer, add two olives and two drops of olive "juice."

"Is this heaven?"

"It's not Heaven...It's Iowa."

(Had to have seen Field of Dreams to get that one.)

I thought someone would make that connection.

Plantwiz

Non-Profit Techie wrote:

The only advice I have is this : If you are the new guy, play dumb. Let the person training you feel smart. When I started my current job I knew more then the person training me. She wanted me gone after just 2 days. For good reason tho, now im the Network Manager and she is still a tech , lol.

That's likely the craziest thing I've heard.

If your smart....don't hide it. If you plan on being a smarta$$ then find something else. There are plenty of incompented jerks around, no need to hide when you know your stuff...though no reason to rub it in someone's face either.
FWIW

TechJunky, your list is good. I'd recommend adding attitude is contagious, and employers appreciate people on the team with good attitudes.

Read the books,
"QBQ: The question behind the Question"
"The GoGetter"
"The Monk and the Merchant"
"Rhinocerous success"
(all recommended by Dave Ramsey)

JDMurray

Plantwiz wrote:

If your smart....don't hide it. If you plan on being a smarta$$ then find something else.

In my experience, smart people are very bad at hiding the fact that they are smart. If you are smart, you can be very quiet and not say much, but eventually you will be discovered when you start to engage in normal, casual conversation with your co-workers. The key--as Plantwiz points out--is the difference being being "smart" and a "smart a$$."

Non-Profit Techie

jdmurray wrote:

Plantwiz wrote:

If your smart....don't hide it. If you plan on being a smarta$$ then find something else.

In my experience, smart people are very bad at hiding the fact that they are smart. If you are smart, you can be very quiet and not say much, but eventually you will be discovered when you start to engage in normal, casual conversation with your co-workers. The key--as Plantwiz points out--is the difference being being "smart" and a "smart a$$."

thats a thin line with me, lol. i tend not to know when im offending someone, but im getting better at picking up on that as i get older. both my boss and i are smartasses and we get along great, lol

and we love to pull pranks too

Plantwiz

Non-Profit Techie wrote:

jdmurray wrote:

Plantwiz wrote:

If your smart....don't hide it. If you plan on being a smarta$$ then find something else.

In my experience, smart people are very bad at hiding the fact that they are smart. If you are smart, you can be very quiet and not say much, but eventually you will be discovered when you start to engage in normal, casual conversation with your co-workers. The key--as Plantwiz points out--is the difference being being "smart" and a "smart a$$."

thats a thin line with me, lol. i tend not to know when im offending someone, but im getting better at picking up on that as i get older. both my boss and i are smartasses and we get along great, lol

and we love to pull pranks too

Well, keep in mind people don't find this 'cute' nor 'professsional' in many offices. It may work for you now in your current position and with your current boss, but maybe your Boss's boss will be ticked or someone in a different department and once they lose confidence in you....you may be gone.

Sorry, I don't buy the 'not know when offending someone'. Reading people is very important. Perhaps re-visit a communications class at a local college or some other class to bring your skills up.

IT work isn't the mailroom and it isn't shipping.

Having fun on the job is good, but there is a professional line between boss and friend that shouldn't get crossed (IMNSHO)...profits are always on the line and if work isn't being done efficiently or a joke goes bad...feelings come into play and jobs start getting cut.

Non-Profit Techie

understood. trust me, we know how and when to be professional. I used to be a Suit and had no trouble maintaining myself in such and enviroment for years. Where I work now, there is a time and a place for everything. the day is just a bit easier when you have fun getting the work done. Not everyday is easy , but there are times when its ok to laugh with eachother.

Plantwiz

Non-Profit Techie wrote:

understood. trust me, we know how and when to be professional. I used to be a Suit and had no trouble maintaining myself in such and enviroment for years. Where I work now, there is a time and a place for everything. the day is just a bit easier when you have fun getting the work done. Not everyday is easy , but there are times when its ok to laugh with eachother.

Yep. It's good to laugh and have fun! Everything has its place:)

Darthn3ss

edit: wrong thread, wtf.

Kaminsky

Initially it's good to show you have a sense of humour and you don't mind it being at your expense sometimes. Playing practical jokes is right out in my opinion. (although in my early days I did fill a colleagues briefcase with packing grubs and once after a very heavy night drinking, let one go in the machine room air conditioner intake and then left the room and watched a few minutes later when the room emptied of green faced techies /chuckle ... ahh those were the days)

Things are far too professional these days to hope you can get away with that sort of thing. You have to know someone really well and hope all the others that get to hear about it, find it humerous and harmless too. So easy for someone to take offence and go running to personnel and then your in serious trouble f losing your job not to mention your credibility flies out of the window.

With that in mind, I think there is nothing wrong with showing your knowledge in a non cocky way but just matter of factly. It shows to your new colleagues that you actually know your stuff and they respect you for it. In my new job I bring to the mix almost 15 years of dealing with a certain industry on the ground whereas few of my new colleagues know this side of their job. I made it quite plain my experience and they were impressed and hopefully could see where my particular talents lie in the group.

Kasor

First, shut up and listen to your boss and peer before you say anything.